Player selectable gaming volatility

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to gaming devices having player selectable gaming volatility and methods of implementing selectable volatility for player use on a gaming device. In one embodiment, a gaming device includes a player interface panel including at least one gaming button for placing a wager on a gaming event, a gaming display to show an output of the gaining event, and a volatility device configured to set a volatility level of the gaming event in response to a player input.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure relates generally to gaming devices, and more particularly to gaming devices having player selectable gaming volatility and methods of implementing selectable volatility for player use on a gaming device.

BACKGROUND

Conventionally, gaming devices include a memory that houses one or more predetermined paytables utilized during game play operations on the gaming devices. These predetermined paytables are generally set by game designers prior to the manufacture or placement in the field of the gaming device. The paytable and reel strip layouts determine the payback percentage of the game and the volatility of winning combinations appearing during game play.

Low volatility games may frequently hit winning symbol combinations that provide an award to the player, but many of these awards are quite small to compensate for the relatively high hit frequency. In gaming devices that allow multiple lines to be played during each game (e.g., a 20 line game), the hit frequency of these low volatility games may be further increased. Often times, however, when multiple lines are played an award for a minor symbol combination occurring on one or only a few of the paylines will return a total award that is less in amount than the amount wagered on the game. For example, a player playing a 20 line game at one credit per line may hit a two symbol winning combination that occurs on two paylines, but only pays two credits for each winning payline. Thus, for a 20 credit wager, the player is only awarded four credits.

High volatility games typically have lower hit frequencies than low volatility games, but the awards for winning combinations tend to be much larger than winning combinations on lower volatility games. One way to increase the volatility of a game is to remove all two symbol pays (since they occur more frequently than 3, 4, or 5 symbol pays), but provide higher awards for the 3, 4, and 5 symbol pays. Although higher volatility games do not hit a winning combination as frequently, when they do hit a winning symbol combination, the award is usually relatively substantial.

Some players that enjoy the reassurance of hitting frequent winning combinations often prefer lower volatility machines. On the other hand, players that prefer larger awards when they achieve a winning combination, and do not care as much about the frequency of the winning combination occurrences, often prefer higher volatility games. As mentioned above, however, with conventional gaming devices, the volatility of a game on a gaming device is typically fixed during the design of the game. Thus, if a player has a gaming theme preference that does not coincide with his or her preferred volatility that is designed into that game as implemented on a gaming device, the player may be forced to play a different game or be uncomfortable with the volatility of the game in order to enjoy the specific gaming theme.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a functional block diagram that illustrates a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1B is an isometric view of the gaming device illustrated in FIG. 1A.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C are detail diagrams of exemplary types of gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of networked gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a function block diagram that illustrates a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a detail diagram of an exemplary gaming display of a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 6, 7A, 7B, 8, and 9 are flow diagrams of exemplary methods of operating a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate example gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a gaming device 10 is an electronic gaming machine. Although an electronic gaming machine or “slot” machine is illustrated, various other types of devices may be used to wager monetarily based credits on a game of chance in accordance with principles of the invention. The term “electronic gaming device” is meant to include various devices such as electromechanical spinning-reel type slot machines, video slot machines, and video poker machines, for instance. Other gaming devices may include computer-based gaming machines, wireless gaming devices, multi-player gaming stations, modified personal electronic gaming devices (such as cell phones), personal computers, server-based gaming terminals, and other similar devices. Although embodiments of the invention will work with all of the gaming types mentioned, for ease of illustration the present embodiments will be described in reference to the electronic gaming machine 10 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

The gaming device 10 includes a cabinet 15 housing components to operate the gaming device 10. The cabinet 15 may include a gaming display 20, a base portion 13, a top box 18, and a player interface panel 30. The gaming display 20 may include mechanical spinning reels (FIG. 2A), a video display (FIGS. 2B and 2C), or a combination of both spinning reels and a video display (not shown). The gaming cabinet 15 may also include a credit meter 27 and a coin-in or bet meter 28. The credit meter 27 may indicate the total number of credits remaining on the gaming device 10 that are eligible to be wagered. In some embodiments, the credit meter 27 may reflect a monetary unit, such as dollars. However, it is often preferable to have the credit meter 27 reflect a number of ‘credits,’ rather than a monetary unit. The bet meter 28 may indicate the amount of credits to be wagered on a particular game. Thus, for each game, the player transfers the amount that he or she wants to wager from the credit meter 27 to the bet meter 28. In some embodiments, various other meters may be present, such as meters reflecting amounts won, amounts paid, or the like. In embodiments where the gaming display 20 is a video monitor, the information indicated on the credit meters may be shown on the gaming display itself 20 (FIG. 2B).

The base portion 13 may include a lighted panel 14, a coin return (not shown), and a gaming handle 12 operable on a partially rotating pivot joint 11. The game handle 12 is traditionally included on mechanical spinning-reel games, where the handle may be pulled toward a player to initiate the spinning of reels 22 after placement of a wager. The top box 18 may include a lighted panel 17, a video display (such as an LCD monitor), a mechanical bonus device (not shown), and a candle light indicator 19. The player interface panel 30 may include various devices so that a player can interact with the gaming device 10.

The player interface panel 30 may include one or more game buttons 32 that can be actuated by the player to cause the gaming device 10 to perform a specific action. For example, some of the game buttons 32 may cause the gaming device 10 to bet a credit to be wagered during the next game, change the number of lines being played on a multi-line game, cash out the credits remaining on the gaming device (as indicated on the credit meter 27), or request assistance from casino personnel, such as by lighting the candle 19. In addition, the player interface panel 30 may include one or more game actuating buttons 33. The game actuating buttons 33 may initiate a game with a pre-specified amount of credits. On some gaming devices 10 a “Max Bet” game actuating button 33 may be included that places the maximum credit wager on a game and initiates the game. The player interface panel 30 may further include a bill acceptor 37 and a ticket printer 38. The bill acceptor 37 may accept and validate paper money or previously printed tickets with a credit balance. The ticket printer 38 may print out tickets reflecting the balance of the credits that remain on the gaming device 10 when a player cashes out by pressing one of the game buttons 32 programmed to cause a ‘cash out.’ These tickets may be inserted into other gaming machines or redeemed at a cashier station or kiosk for cash.

The gaming device 10 may also include one or more speakers 26 to transmit auditory information or sounds to the player. The auditory information may include specific sounds associated with particular events that occur during game play on the gaming device 10. For example, a particularly festive sound may be played during a large win or when a bonus is triggered. The speakers 26 may also transmit “attract” sounds to entice nearby players when the game is not currently being played.

The gaming device 10 may further include a secondary display 25. This secondary display 25 may be a vacuum fluorescent display (VFD), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), a plasma screen, or the like. The secondary display 25 may show any combination of primary game information and ancillary information to the player. For example, the secondary display 25 may show player tracking information, secondary bonus information, advertisements, or player selectable game options.

The gaming device 10 may include a separate information window (not shown) dedicated to supplying any combination of information related to primary game play, secondary bonus information, player tracking information, secondary bonus information, advertisements or player selectable game options. This window may be fixed in size and location or may have its size and location vary temporally as communication needs change. One example of such a resizable window is International Game Technology's “service window”. Another example is Las Vegas Gaming Incorporated's retrofit technology which allows information to be placed over areas of the game or the secondary display screen at various times and in various situations.

The gaming device 10 includes a microprocessor 40 that controls operation of the gaming device 10. If the gaming device 10 is a standalone gaming device, the microprocessor 40 may control virtually all of the operations of the gaming devices and attached equipment, such as operating game logic stored in memory (not shown) as firmware, controlling the display 20 to represent the outcome of a game, communicating with the other peripheral devices (such as the bill acceptor 37), and orchestrating the lighting and sound emanating from the gaming device 10. In other embodiments where the gaming device 10 is coupled to a network 50, as described below, the microprocessor 40 may have different tasks depending on the setup and function of the gaming device. For example, the microprocessor 40 may be responsible for running the base game of the gaming device and executing instructions received over the network 50 from a bonus server or player tracking server. In a server-based gaming setup, the microprocessor 40 may act as a terminal to execute instructions from a remote server that is running game play on the gaming device.

The microprocessor 40 may be coupled to a machine communication interface (MCI) 42 that connects the gaming device 10 to a gaming network 50. The MCI 42 may be coupled to the microprocessor 40 through a serial connection, a parallel connection, an optical connection, or in some cases a wireless connection. The gaming device 10 may include memory 41 (MEM), such as a random access memory (RAM), coupled to the microprocessor 40 and which can be used to store gaming information, such as storing total coin-in statistics about a present or past gaming session, which can be communicated to a remote server or database through the MCI 42. The MCI 42 may also facilitate communication between the network 50 and the secondary display 25 or a player tracking unit 45 housed in the gaming cabinet 15.

The player tracking unit 45 may include an identification device 46 and one or more buttons 47 associated with the player tracking unit 45. The identification device 46 serves to identify a player, by, for example, reading a player-tracking device, such as a player tracking card that is issued by the casino to individual players who choose to have such a card. The identification device 46 may instead, or additionally, identify players through other methods. Player tracking systems using player tracking cards and card readers 46 are known in the art. Briefly summarizing such a system, a player registers with the casino prior to commencing gaming. The casino issues a unique player-tracking card to the player and opens a corresponding player account that is stored on a server or host computer, described below with reference to FIG. 3. The player account may include the player's name and mailing address and other information of interest to the casino in connection with marketing efforts. Prior to playing one of the gaming devices in the casino, the player inserts the player tracking card into the identification device 46 thus permitting the casino to track player activity, such as amounts wagered, credits won, and rate of play.

To induce the player to use the card and be an identified player, the casino may award each player points proportional to the money or credits wagered by the player. Players typically accrue points at a rate related to the amount wagered, although other factors may cause the casino to award the player various amounts. The points may be displayed on the secondary display 25 or using other methods. In conventional player tracking systems, the player may take his or her card to a special desk in the casino where a casino employee scans the card to determine how many accrued points are in the player's account. The player may redeem points for selected merchandise, meals in casino restaurants, or the like, which each have assigned point values. In some player tracking systems, the player may use the secondary display 25 to access their player tracking account, such as to check a total number of points, redeem points for various services, make changes to their account, or download promotional credits to the gaming device 10. In other embodiments, the identification device 46 may read other identifying cards (such as driver licenses, credit cards, etc.) to identify a player and match them to a corresponding player tracking account. Although FIG. 1A shows the player tracking unit 45 with a card reader as the identification device 46, other embodiments may include a player tracking unit 45 with a biometric scanner, PIN code acceptor, or other methods of identifying a player to pair the player with their player tracking account.

During typical play on a gaming device 10, a player plays a game by placing a wager and then initiating a gaming session. The player may initially insert monetary bills or previously printed tickets with a credit value into the bill acceptor 37. The player may also put coins into a coin acceptor (not shown) or a credit, debit or casino account card into a card reader/authorizer (not shown). One of skill in the art will readily see that this invention is useful with all gambling devices, regardless of the manner in which wager value-input is accomplished.

The credit meter 27 displays the numeric credit value of the money inserted dependent on the denomination of the gaming device 10. That is, if the gaming device 10 is a nickel slot machine and a $20 bill inserted into the bill acceptor 37, the credit meter will reflect 400 credits or one credit for each nickel of the inserted twenty dollars. For gaming devices 10 that support multiple denominations, the credit meter 27 will reflect the amount of credits relative to the denomination selected. Thus, in the above example, if a penny denomination is selected after the $20 is inserted the credit meter will change from 400 credits to 2000 credits.

A wager may be placed by pushing one or more of the game buttons 32, which may be reflected on the bet meter 28. That is, the player can generally depress a “bet one” button (one of the buttons on the player interface panel 30, such as 32), which transfers one credit from the credit meter 27 to the bet meter 28. Each time the button 32 is depressed an additional single credit transfers to the bet meter 28 up to a maximum bet that can be placed on a single play of the electronic gaming device 10. The gaming session may be initiated by pulling the gaming handle 12 or depressing the spin button 33. On some gaming devices 10, a “max bet” button (another one of the buttons 32 on the player interface panel 30) may be depressed to wager the maximum number of credits supported by the gaming device 10 and initiate a gaming session.

If the gaming session does not result in any winning combination, the process of placing a wager may be repeated by the player. Alternatively, the player may cash out any remaining credits on the credit meter 27 by depressing the “cash-out” button (another button 32 on the player interface panel 30), which causes the credits on the credit meter 27 to be paid out in the form of a ticket through the ticket printer 38, or may be paid out in the form of returning coins from a coin hopper (not shown) to a coin return tray.

If instead a winning combination (win) appears on the display 20, the award corresponding to the winning combination is immediately applied to the credit meter 27. For example, if the gaming device 10 is a slot machine, a winning combination of symbols 23 may land on a played payline on reels 22. If any bonus games are initiated, the gaming device 10 may enter into a bonus mode or simply award the player with a bonus amount of credits that are applied to the credit meter 27.

FIGS. 2A to 2C illustrate exemplary types of gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 2A illustrates an example spinning-reel gaming machine 10A, FIG. 2B illustrates an example video slot machine 10B, and FIG. 2C illustrates an example video poker machine 10C.

Referring to FIG. 2A, a spinning-reel gaming machine 10A includes a gaming display 20A having a plurality of mechanical spinning reels 22A. Typically, spinning-reel gaming machines 10A have three to five spinning reels 22A. Each of the spinning reels 22A has multiple symbols 23A that may be separated by blank areas on the spinning reels 22A, although the presence of blank areas typically depends on the number of reels 22A present in the gaming device 10A and the number of different symbols 23A that may appear on the spinning reels 22A. Each of the symbols 22A or blank areas makes up a “stop” on the spinning reel 22A where the reel 22A comes to rest after a spin. Although the spinning reels 22A of various games 10A may have various numbers of stops, many conventional spinning-reel gaming devices 10A have reels 22A with twenty two stops.

During game play, the spinning reels 22A may be controlled by stepper motors (not shown) under the direction of the microprocessor 40 (FIG. 1A). Thus, although the spinning-reel gaming device 10A has mechanical based spinning reels 22A, the movement of the reels themselves is electronically controlled to spin and stop. This electronic control is advantageous because it allows a virtual reel strip to be stored in the memory 41 of the gaming device 10A, where various “virtual stops” are mapped to each physical stop on the physical reel 22A. This mapping allows the gaming device 10A to establish greater awards and bonuses available to the player because of the increased number of possible combinations afforded by the virtual reel strips.

A gaming session on a spinning reel slot machine 10A typically includes the player pressing the “bet-one” button (one of the game buttons 32A) to wager a desired number of credits followed by pulling the gaming handle 12 (FIGS. 1A, 1B) or pressing the spin button 33A to spin the reels 22A. Alternatively, the player may simply press the “max-bet” button (another one of the game buttons 32A) to both wager the maximum number of credits permitted and initiate the spinning of the reels 22A. The spinning reels 22A may all stop at the same time or may individually stop one after another (typically from left to right) to build player anticipation. Because the display 20A usually cannot be physically modified, some spinning reel slot machines 10A include an electronic display screen in the top box 18 (FIG. 1B), a mechanical bonus mechanism in the top box 18, or a secondary display 25 (FIG. 1A) to execute a bonus.

Referring to FIG. 2B, a video gaming machine 10B may include a video display 20B to display virtual spinning reels 22B and various other gaming information 21B. The video display 20B may be a CRT, LCD, plasma screen, or the like. It is usually preferable that the video display 20B be a touchscreen to accept player input. A number of symbols 23A appear on each of the virtual spinning reels 22B. Although FIG. 2B shows five virtual spinning reels 22B, the flexibility of the video display 20B allows for various reel 22B and game configurations. For example, some video slot games 10B spin reels for each individual symbol position (or stop) that appears on the video display 20B. That is, each symbol position on the screen is independent of every other position during the gaming sessions. In these types of games, very large numbers of pay lines or multiple super scatter pays can be utilized since similar symbols could appear at every symbol position on the video display 20B. On the other hand, other video slot games 10B more closely resemble the mechanical spinning reel games where symbols that are vertically adjacent to each other are part of the same continuous virtual spinning reel 22B.

Because the virtual spinning reels 22B, by virtue of being computer implemented, can have almost any number of stops on a reel strip, it is much easier to have a greater variety of displayed outcomes as compared to spinning-reel slot machines 10A (FIG. 2A) that have a fixed number of physical stops on each spinning reel 22A.

With the possible increases in reel 22B numbers and configurations over the mechanical gaming device 10A, video gaming devices 10B often have multiple paylines 24 that may be played. By having more paylines 24 available to play, the player may be more likely to have a winning combination when the reels 22B stop and the gaming session ends. However, since the player typically must wager at least a minimum number of credits to enable each payline 24 to be eligible for winning, the overall odds of winning are not much different, if at all, than if the player is wagering only on a single payline. For example, in a five line game, the player may bet one credit per payline 24 and be eligible for winning symbol combinations that appear on any of the five played paylines 24. This gives a total of five credits wagered and five possible winning paylines 24. If, on the other hand, the player only wagers one credit on one payline 24, but plays five gaming sessions, the odds of winning would be identical as above: five credits wagered and five possible winning paylines 24.

Because the video display 20B can easily modify the image output by the video display 20B, bonuses, such as second screen bonuses are relatively easy to award on the video slot game 10B. That is, if a bonus is triggered during game play, the video display 20B may simply store the resulting screen shot in memory and display a bonus sequence on the video display 20B. After the bonus sequence is completed, the video display 20B may then retrieve the previous screen shot and information from memory, and re-display that image.

Also, as mentioned above, the video display 20B may allow various other game information 21B to be displayed. For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, banner information may be displayed above the spinning reels 22B to inform the player, perhaps, which symbol combination is needed to trigger a bonus. Also, instead of providing a separate credit meter 27 (FIG. 1A) and bet meter 28, the same information can instead be displayed on the video display 20B. In addition, “soft buttons” 29B such as a “spin” button or “help/see pays” button may be built using the touch screen video display 20B. Such customization and ease of changing the image shown on the display 20B adds to the flexibility of the game 10B.

Even with the improved flexibility afforded by the video display 20B, several physical buttons 32B and 33B are usually provided on video slot machines 10B. These buttons may include game buttons 32B that allow a player to choose the number of paylines 24 he or she would like to play and the number of credits wagered on each payline 24. In addition, a max bet button (one of the game buttons 32B) allows a player to place a maximum credit wager on the maximum number of available paylines 24 and initiate a gaming session. A repeat bet or spin button 33B may also be used to initiate each gaming session when the max bet button is not used.

Referring to FIG. 2C, a video poker gaming device 10C may include a video display 20C that is physically similar to the video display 20B shown in FIG. 2B. The video display 20C may show a poker hand of five cards 23C and various other player information 21C including a paytable for various winning hands, as well as a plurality of player selectable soft buttons 29C. The video display 20C may present a poker hand of five cards 23C and various other player information 21C including a number of player selectable soft (touch-screen) buttons 29C and a paytable for various winning hands. Although the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3C shows only one hand of poker on the video display 20C, various other video poker machines 10C may show several poker hands (multi-hand poker). Typically, video poker machines 10C play “draw” poker in which a player is dealt a hand of five cards, has the opportunity to hold any combination of those five cards, and then draws new cards to replace the discarded ones. All pays are usually given for winning combinations resulting from the final hand, although some video poker games 10C may give bonus credits for certain combinations received on the first hand before the draw. In the example shown in FIG. 2C a player has been dealt two aces, a three, a six, and a nine. The video poker game 10C may provide a bonus or payout for the player having been dealt the pair of aces, even before the player decides what to discard in the draw. Since pairs, three of a kind, etc. are typically needed for wins, a player would likely hold the two aces that have been dealt and draw three cards to replace the three, six, and nine in the hope of receiving additional aces or other cards leading to a winning combination with a higher award amount. After the draw and revealing of the final hand, the video poker game 10C typically awards any credits won to the credit meter.

The player selectable soft buttons 29C appearing on the screen respectively correspond to each card on the video display 20C. These soft buttons 29C allow players to select specific cards on the video display 20C such that the card corresponding to the selected soft button is “held” before the draw. Typically, video poker machines 10C also include physical game buttons 32C that correspond to the cards in the hand and may be selected to hold a corresponding card. A deal/draw button 33C may also be included to initiate a gaming session after credits have been wagered (with a bet button 32C, for example) and to draw any cards not held after the first hand is displayed.

Although examples of a spinning reel slot machine 10A, a video slot machine 10B, and a video poker machine 10C have been illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2C, gaming machines and various other types of gaming devices known in the art are contemplated and are within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating networked gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, multiple electronic gaming devices (EGMs) 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, and 75 may be coupled to one another and coupled to a remote server 80 through a network 50. For ease of understanding, gaming devices or EGMs 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, and 75 are generically referred to as EGMs 70-75. The term EGMs 70-75, however, may refer to any combination of one or more of EGMs 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, and 75. Additionally, the gaming server 80 may be coupled to one or more gaming databases 90. These gaming network 50 connections may allow multiple gaming devices 70-75 to remain in communication with one another during particular gaming modes such as tournament play or remote head-to-head play. Although some of the gaming devices 70-75 coupled on the gaming network 50 may resemble the gaming devices 10, 10A, 10B, and 10C shown in FIGS. 1A-1B and 2A-2C, other coupled gaming devices 70-75 may include differently configured gaming devices. For example, the gaming devices 70-75 may include traditional slot machines 75 directly coupled to the network 50, banks of gaming devices 70 coupled to the network 50, banks of gaming devices 70 coupled to the network through a bank controller 60, wireless handheld gaming machines 72 and cell phones 73 coupled to the gaming network 50 through one or more wireless routers or antennas 61, personal computers 74 coupled to the network 50 through the internet 62, and banks of gaming devices 71 coupled to the network through one or more optical connection lines 64. Additionally, some of the traditional gaming devices 70, 71, and 75 may include electronic gaming tables, multi-station gaming devices, or electronic components operating in conjunction with non-gaming components, such as automatic card readers, chip readers, and chip counters, for example.

Gaming devices 71 coupled over an optical line 64 may be remote gaming devices in a different location or casino. The optical line 64 may be coupled to the gaming network 50 through an electronic to optical signal converter 63 and may be coupled to the gaming devices 71 through an optical to electronic signal converter 65. The banks of gaming devices 70 coupled to the network 50 may be coupled through a bank controller 60 for compatibility purposes, for local organization and control, or for signal buffering purposes. The network 50 may include serial or parallel signal transmission lines and carry data in accordance with data transfer protocols such as Ethernet transmission lines, Rs-232 lines, firewire lines, USB lines, or other communication protocols. Although not shown in FIG. 3, substantially the entire network 50 may be made of fiber optic lines or may be a wireless network utilizing a wireless protocol such as IEEE 802.11 a, b, g, or n, Zigbee, RF protocols, optical transmission, near-field transmission, or the like.

As mentioned above, each gaming device 70-75 may have an individual processor 40 (FIG. 1A) and memory 41 to run and control game play on the gaming device 70-75, or some of the gaming devices 70-75 may be terminals that are run by a remote server 80 in a server based gaming environment. Server based gaming environments may be advantageous to casinos by allowing fast downloading of particular game types or themes based on casino preference or player selection. Additionally, tournament based games, linked games, and certain game types, such as BINGO or keno may benefit from at least some server 80 based control.

Thus, in some embodiments, the network 50, server 80, and database 90 may be dedicated to communications regarding specific game or tournament play. In other embodiments, however, the network 50, server 80, and database 90 may be part of a player tracking network. For player tracking capabilities, when a player inserts a player tracking card in the card reader 46 (FIG. 1A), the player tracking unit 45 sends player identification information obtained on the card reader 46 through the MCI 42 over the network 50 to the player tracking server 80, where the player identification information is compared to player information records in the player database 90 to provide the player with information regarding their player account or other features at the gaming device 10 where the player is wagering. Additionally, multiple databases 90 and/or servers 80 may be present and coupled to one or more networks 50 to provide a variety of gaming services, such as both game/tournament data and player tracking data.

The various systems described with reference to FIGS. 1-3 can be used in a number of ways. For instance, the systems can be used to track data about various players. The tracked data can be used by the casino to provide additional benefits to players, such as extra bonuses or extra benefits such as bonus games and other benefits as described above. These added benefits further entice the players to play at the casino that provides the benefits.

FIG. 4 is a function block diagram that illustrates a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, a gaming device 100 includes a gaming cabinet 115 having a top box 118, a game output display 120, a player interface panel 130, a secondary display 125, a processor 140, and a player identifying unit 145. Similar to the gaming device 10 shown in FIG. 1, the gaming device 100 may include speakers 126, credit meters 127/128, a gaming handle 112, a memory 141 connected to the processor 140, and an MCI 142 connected to a network 150. The player interface panel 130 may also include one or more game buttons 132 and a game actuating button 133. However, the gaming device 100 may also include a volatility device 160. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the volatility device 160 may be connected to the processor 140. In different embodiments, however, the volatility device 160 may be part of the processor 140 (i.e., a portion of the processor may be configured to operate as the volatility device), or may be located on a remote server 80 (FIG. 3) connected to the gaming device 100 through the network 150. For ease and clarity of the description, the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 will refer to the volatility device 160 as a separate element that is connected to the processor 140 and memory 141.

In some embodiments, players may select a general level of gaming volatility at the start of game play or during game play. In these embodiments, a player may be prompted upon insertion of money or tickets with credit value to select a preferred level of volatility. Additionally, a player may be able to access and change the volatility level of a gaming device through a help screen. In other embodiments, only players identified through a play reward system may be able to select the volatility level of a game. Since actual volatility values associated with hit frequency and average award pays may prove confusing, it may be preferable in some embodiments to give a player a general range of volatilities. For example, a list menu may include selectable volatility levels between 1 and 10, where a value closer to 1 is associated with a lower volatility game while a value closer to 10 is associated with a higher volatility game.

Each volatility level may be associated with a paytable that reflects the relative volatility of the volatility level. That is, the paytables may be arranged such that lower volatility paytables have a higher hit frequency with a lower average prize for a gaming event outcome, and such that higher volatility paytables have a lower hit frequency with a higher average prize for a gaming event outcome. This volatility characteristic of the paytables may be implemented by a variety of arrangements. For example, a lower volatility paytable may include more minor symbol pays or a reduced number of symbols needed for a prize to be awarded. By contrast, a higher volatility paytable may reduce the number of minor symbol pays and reduce the prizes awarded for 2 or 3 symbol pays. The actual amounts of the awards and/or the reel strip layouts may need to be adjusted as well to accomplish different volatility levels for the same general game theme.

To ensure fairness across the selectable volatility levels, it may be preferable to have all of the selectable volatilities give substantially similar payback percentages. Thus, for games that are designed with multiple payback percentages, multiple paytables having different volatility levels may need to be included for each of the payback percentages. For example, in a game that has approximate payback percentages of 88.5%, 91%, 92.5%, and 94% and selectable gaming volatility levels, a game designer may need to develop 20 different paytable combinations.

In some embodiments, a plurality of volatility levels may be displayed on a volatility menu (See FIG. 5). That is, a list of selectable volatility levels may be displayed so that a player may observe the number of available levels from which to choose, and may directly select one of the levels. The volatility menu may be displayed on a portion of the gaming display 120, such as is illustrated in FIG. 5. However, in other embodiments, the volatility menu may be shown on the secondary display 125, on a top box display 118, or on one or more alphanumeric meters 127/128. If the volatility menu is displayed on a video monitor or panel, a touch sensitive screen (touchscreen) may be implemented so that the player may directly touch one of the displayed volatility levels to select that level. In other configurations, one or more of the game buttons 132 may be activated to receive a player input in selecting a volatility level. Additionally, soft buttons or other selection means, such as dedicated game buttons (not shown) may be used to select a volatility level.

In other embodiments, a default volatility level may be initially displayed. This default level may again be shown on the gaming display 120, secondary display 125, top box 118, or meter 127/128. A selection means, such as game buttons or soft buttons may be activated to allow the player to increase or decrease the volatility level from the default volatility level. To provide easier transitions between volatility selections, it may be preferable to have the default volatility level occur at approximately the middle of the available volatility levels. However, for games that are predispositioned to play a high or low volatility, the default volatility level may be skewed toward a higher or lower volatility end. Embodiments that initially display a default volatility level may be preferable where a gaming display includes physical spinning reels or a set layout, such as in video poker because the initial default level may be easier to display on a meter 127/128 or secondary display 125 as compared to embodiments that display a full volatility level menu.

Gaming volatility may also be set as a preference in a player club database so that each time the player is identified at a gaming device, a preferred volatility level may be automatically set for the player. In other embodiments, only identified players may be permitted to change a volatility level. In such embodiments, the volatility device may be configured to set a volatility level of the gaming event in response to receiving player identification at player identifying unit 145. When a player is identified, the player may be given a volatility option of playing a gaming event at a default gaming volatility level or playing the gaming event at a custom selectable gaming volatility level. Further, the player may be given the option of saving a preferred volatility level in a player database so that each time the player identifies himself or herself to a gaming device connected to the player database, the player's preferred volatility level will be identified and implemented on the gaming device being played by the player.

In some embodiments a gaming system may be implemented along the lines of the gaming system shown in FIG. 3. That is, the gaming system may include a gaming server 80, a player database 90 configured to store player preferences associated with identified players, and a gaming device 70/100 including a volatility device 160 configured to set a volatility level of a gaming event according to a player preference of an identified player placing wagers on an outcome of the gaming event at the gaming device 100. This gaming system may further utilize the player identification unit 145 to identify the player wagering on the outcome of the gaming event at the gaming device 100.

In some embodiments, the volatility level may be changed or updated based on gaming conditions rather than being available to change in response to a player request or a player identification. That is, the volatility device 160 may change a volatility level in response to gaming conditions such as game play options or game play results. These embodiments are discussed more fully below with reference to FIG. 8.

FIG. 5 is a detail diagram of an exemplary gaming display of a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, a gaming display 220 of a gaming device may include a game output portion 222 and a volatility menu 280 that displays multiple volatility levels 285 that may be selected by a player during the course of game play. The volatility menu 280 may include a touchscreen portion to allow players to directly select one of the displayed volatility levels 285 and highlight that selection in a selection box 290. Alternatively, the volatility menu may include a selection box 290 that can be moved up or down (or any other relative direction) by operation of a game button 132 (FIG. 4), soft buttons on the gaming display 29B (FIG. 2B), or other input means.

As described above, the displayed volatility levels 285 may be arbitrary numbers or symbols that represent different levels of volatility for paytables associated with each of the selectable volatility levels 285. For example, the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 includes a list of selectable volatility levels 285 between the relative values of 1 and 10. The actual values 1, 2, . . . , 10 may not have any particular association with the volatility values that they represent, nor may the values be linearly related in volatility differences between the selectable levels 285. Rather, the displayed values may represent approximate levels of volatility in paytables associated with each of the selectable levels 285. Thus, a selection of a “10” volatility level may have substantially more volatility in the paytable associated with that selection; while a selection of a “1” volatility level may have substantially less volatility in the paytable associated with that selection.

FIGS. 6, 7A, 7B, 8, and 9 are flow diagrams of exemplary methods of operating a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, a method of operating a gaming device to set a volatility level may include receiving credits or monetarily-based tender from a player that is converted into credits 300. The credits input into the gaming device may be available to the player to wager on one or more gaming events occurring on the gaming device. After the credits have been received, it is determined whether the player has been identified to the gaming device 310. Typically, a player identifies himself or herself to the gaming device by inserting a player club card into a player identifying unit 145 (FIG. 4). However, a player may also be identified by other means, such as biometric scans or swiping a card including personal identifying information encoded in the card as discussed above. Once a player has inserted a player club card or otherwise has supplied identifying information to the gaming device, player information associated with the identified player may be located on a player database 90 (FIG. 3) and transferred to the gaming device.

If the player has not been identified by the gaming device (e.g., the player has not joined a player club, or has chosen to not identify his or her self), a default volatility level associated with the gaming event may be set 360 and the gaming device may then wait to receive a wager from the unidentified player on a gaming event 370. On the other hand, if the player has been identified by the gaming device and information about the player has been transferred to the gaming device, it may be determined whether the player has saved a particular volatility level as one of their player preferences 320. If the player has previously saved a particular volatility level as a player preference, or if the player typically plays games having a particular volatility level, a volatility level for the player's current gaming session may be automatically set or the gaming device may prompt the player with a suggested volatility level based on the transferred player information 350.

If the player has not saved a preferred volatility level as a player preference, the gaming device may provide a prompt asking the player if they want to set a preferred level as a player preference 330. If the player does not want to save a particular volatility level as a player preference, a default volatility level may be set for the gaming event 360. However, if the player does choose to save a preferred level, the gaming device may prompt the player to select a volatility level, save the selected volatility level in the player database 340, and set the volatility level of the gaming event to the new preferred level 350. After a volatility level has been set, the gaming device may receive a wager from the player on the gaming event.

Referring to FIG. 7A, a method of operating a gaming device to set a volatility level may include receiving credits or monetarily-based tender from a player that is converted into credits 400. The credits input into the gaming device may be available to the player to wager on one or more gaming events occurring on the gaming device. After the credits have been received, the player may be prompted as to whether he or she would like to change or customize the volatility level of the gaming event 410. If the player does not want to alter the volatility of the gaming event, a default volatility level may be set for the gaming event 460, and the player may place a wager on the gaming event 470. In this case, prizes awarded based on the gaming event will be determined in accordance with a default paytable associated with the default volatility level.

If the player, however, does choose to change the volatility level of the gaming event, a volatility menu including a plurality of selectable volatility levels is displayed 420. As mentioned above, this volatility menu may be displayed on a portion of the gaming display 120 (FIG. 4), on a secondary display 125, or on another display means. After the volatility menu is displayed, the gaming device may prompt the player to select one of the volatility levels and receive the player's selection 430. When the player has selected a desired volatility level, the gaming device may set the volatility level of the gaming event in accordance with the level selected by the player 450. After a volatility level has been set, the gaming device may receive a wager from the player on the gaming event 470.

Referring to FIG. 7B, another method of operating a gaming device to set a volatility level may include similar elements to the method described above with respect to FIG. 7A.

However, instead of displaying a volatility menu and receiving a selection of one of the levels displayed on the volatility menu, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7B includes displaying a default volatility level on the gaming device 425 after determining that the player would like to change the volatility level of the gaming event 420. The default volatility level may be displayed on a portion of the gaming display 120 (FIG. 4), on a secondary display 125, on an alphanumeric meter (such as the meter 128), or on other display means.

After the default volatility level has been displayed, the player may be prompted to increase or decrease the volatility level of the gaming event from the default level 435. As mentioned above, in some embodiments two or more game buttons 132 on a player interface panel 130 may be active to respectively increase or decrease the volatility level. With each press of the game button 132, the display may indicate a new volatility level, which may be selected by a player. In other embodiments soft buttons or dedicated buttons on the game cabinet 115 or top box 118 may be used to increase or decrease the volatility level. After a desired volatility level is reached, the gaming device may again set that desired level for the gaming event 450 and receive a wager from the player on the gaming event 470.

Referring to FIG. 8, a method of operating a gaming device may include tracking gaming conditions for gaming events 500 in order to set a volatility level for a gaming device. The tracked gaming conditions may include player selected wagering patterns, recent game event outcome patterns, time-based considerations, or other conditions relating to player characteristics or game play. In some embodiments, these gaming conditions may be dependant on a player's selection of wager type or amount. For example, a player may be able to alter the volatility of a gaming event when the player is playing max bet, but may only use the default volatility when playing less than the max bet. In another example, the player may be required to place an additional wager to “buy” the ability to alter the volatility. In other embodiments, these gaming conditions may be dependent upon recent game play. For example, if the player has not received a gaming outcome with an associated prize for a predetermined number of games, a lower volatility (higher hit frequency) paytable may be used for a predetermined number of future games or until the player receives a winning combination. The player may receive an option of accepting or rejecting the change in volatility, or the paytable substitution may be done automatically by the gaming device. In still other embodiments, these gaming conditions may be dependent on time-based considerations, such as time of day, day of the week, etc. For example, if it is determined that older players prefer higher volatility games and it is further determined the ratio of older players to younger players is highest between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM, the gaming device may automatically alter the volatility level for gaming events to match the general player preferences at specific times. Alternatively, the volatility level may be altered to encourage gaming during non-peak hours. For example, very high volatility levels may be implemented between 2:00 AM and 5:00 AM on week nights to encourage game play.

After the gaming conditions have been tracked, it may be determined whether the tracked conditions meet predetermined criteria for changing the volatility level of the gaming event 510. A gaming server 80 (FIG. 3) may be responsible for tracking gaming conditions at multiple gaming devices connected to the server though a network 50. The server 80 may further compare the tracked conditions to the predetermined criteria 510. Alternatively, a bank controller 60 or individual gaming device 70 may track the gaming conditions and compare them to the predetermined criteria.

When the gaming conditions meet these predetermined criteria, the gaming device may select a new paytable with a different volatility level for subsequent gaming events 520. As stated in the examples above, this volatility level change may last for a predetermined number of subsequent gaming events, for a single gaming event, or for as long as the gaming conditions meet the predetermined criteria.

Referring to FIG. 9, a method of operating a gaming device to set a volatility level may include receiving a player input or request to change a volatility level of a gaming event 600. As discussed above, in some embodiments, the player may change the volatility level during a gaming session in a variety of manners. For example, the player may select the option of changing the volatility level from the Help/See Pays menu screen, or by activating a gaming button associated with altering the volatility level of the gaming event.

After the player input is received, it is determined what volatility level is selected by the player 620. A paytable associated with the selected volatility level is identified 640 and the paytable is loaded for determining prize amounts to award based on the outcome of the gaming event 650. As discussed above, at least one paytable may be associated with each one of the selectable volatility levels to change the volatility of the hit frequency and prize amounts for winning combinations within gaming event outcomes. The identified paytable may be loaded in local memory 141 (FIG. 4) connected to the gaming processor 140 or may be loaded directly in the gaming processor 140. In other embodiments, the identified paytable may be loaded to a server connected to the gaming device via a gaming network 150 if pay amounts and winning symbol combination determinations are handled at the server level. After the identified paytable has been loaded, the gaming device may receive a wager from the player on the gaming event.

Some embodiments of the invention have been described above, and in addition, some specific details are shown for purposes of illustrating the inventive principles. However, numerous other arrangements may be devised in accordance with the inventive principles of this patent disclosure. Further, well known processes have not been described in detail in order not to obscure the invention. Thus, while the invention is described in conjunction with the specific embodiments illustrated in the drawings, it is not limited to these embodiments or drawings. Rather, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that come within the scope and spirit of the inventive principles set out in the appended claims. 

1. A gaming device comprising: a player interface panel including at least one gaming button, the gaming button configured to allow a player to place a wager on a gaming event; a gaming display to show an output of the gaming event; and a volatility device, wherein the volatility device is configured to set a volatility level of the gaming event in response to a player input.
 2. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a volatility menu to display a plurality of volatility levels selectable by the player.
 3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the volatility menu is displayed on the gaming display.
 4. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the volatility menu is displayed on a secondary display.
 5. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a player identifying device, wherein the volatility device is configured to set the volatility level of the gaming event in response to receiving a player identification.
 6. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein the volatility device is further configured to display a volatility option to an identified player, the volatility option including a default gaming volatility level and a custom selectable gaming volatility level for the gaming event.
 7. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a volatility display to show a set volatility level.
 8. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the volatility display includes an alphanumeric meter display.
 9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the volatility device is configured to set the volatility level of the gaming event by selecting one of a plurality of predetermined paytables.
 10. A gaming system comprising: a gaming server; a player database connected to the gaming server, the player database configured to store player preferences associated with identified players; a gaming device connected to the gaming server, the gaming device including a volatility device configured to set a volatility level of a gaming event according to a player preference associated with an indentified player wagering on an outcome of the gaming event at the gaming device.
 11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the gaming device further includes a player identification device to identify the player wagering on the outcome of the gaming event at the gaming device.
 12. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the gaming device further includes a display to show the set volatility level associated with the player preference.
 13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the gaming device is configured to update the volatility level associated with the player preference in response to a player input.
 14. A gaming device comprising: a gaming processor to operate base game events and bonus events on the gaming device in response to wagers placed by a player; a player interface panel including a plurality of gaming buttons, wherein at least one of the gaming buttons is configured to initiate a base game event in response to a player input; a gaming display to show an output of the base game event; and a volatility device configured to set a volatility level of the base game event by loading one of a plurality of predetermined paytables to the gaming processor.
 15. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the volatility device is configured to load one of the plurality of predetermined paytables in response to a player selection.
 16. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the volatility device is configured to load one of the plurality of predetermined paytables in accordance with a stored player preference associated with the player.
 17. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the volatility device is configured to load one of the plurality of predetermined paytables in response to a gaming condition.
 18. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the gaming condition includes an amount wagered on the base game event.
 19. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the gaming condition includes results of recent base game events.
 20. The gaming device of claim 19, wherein the gaming condition includes a determination of whether a prize has been awarded in a predetermined number of previous base game events.
 21. A method of operating a gaming device, the method comprising: displaying an amount of credits available to wager on a gaming event at the gaming device; determining a selected volatility level for the gaming event; identifying a selected paytable from a plurality of paytables, the selected paytable associated with the selected volatility level; loading the selected paytable; receiving a wager of a portion of the credits available from a player on the gaming event; and utilizing the selected paytable to determine prizes awarded based on an outcome of the gaming event.
 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving a player input to change the volatility level of the gaming event prior to determining the selected volatility level.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining a selected volatility level for the gaming event comprises: displaying a volatility menu including a plurality of selectable volatility levels; and receiving a player input to select one of the plurality of volatility levels.
 24. The method of claim 22, wherein determining a selected volatility level for the gaming event comprises: displaying a default volatility level; and receiving at least one player input to increase or decrease the default volatility level to the selected volatility level.
 25. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining whether the player has been identified to the gaming device prior to determining the selected volatility level.
 26. The method of claim 25, wherein determining a selected volatility level for the gaming event comprises identifying a preferred volatility level associated with the player when the player has been identified to the gaming device.
 27. The method of claim 25, wherein determining a selected volatility level for the gaming event comprises selecting a default volatility level when the player has not been identified to the gaming device.
 28. The method of claim 21, further comprising tracking gaming conditions prior to determining the selected volatility level.
 29. The method of claim 28, wherein determining a selected volatility level for the gaming event comprises identifying the volatility level based on the tracked gaming conditions.
 30. The method of claim 29, wherein tracking gaming conditions includes tracking coin-in amounts for previous gaming events wagered upon by the player.
 31. The method of claim 29, wherein tracking gaming conditions includes tracking a hit frequency for previous gaming events wagered upon by the player. 